Watchtower Study, October 3-9, 2022, Young Man, Keep Progressing After Your Baptism, Answers Underlined.
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“Let us grow by love in all things” (EPHE. 4:15).
1. What have many young people achieved so far?
EVERY year thousands of young Christians are baptized. You are one of them? In that case, your spiritual family is happy for you, and Jehovah is also very happy.—Prov. 27:11. He thinks about everything you've done so far. For example, you have studied the Bible a lot, perhaps for years, and that has convinced you that it is the Word of God . But most importantly, you now know and love the author of that holy book. You love Jehovah so much that you made the decision to dedicate your life to him and get baptized. Good thing you did!
2. What will we see in this article?
2 Surely before your baptism you went through situations that put your faith to the test. But over the years others will come. Satan will try to cool off your love for Jehovah and drive you away from him (Eph. 4:14). Don't let him get away with it. What will help you be loyal to Jehovah and fulfill your dedication? You have to keep progressing, that is, advancing “toward Christian maturity” (Heb. 6:1). In this article we will see how you can achieve it.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PROGRESS SPIRITUALLY
3. What must all Christians do after being baptized?
3 When someone is baptized, he should follow the advice that the apostle Paul gave to the Christians in Ephesus. He encouraged them to have “the maturity of a grown man” in a spiritual sense (Eph. 4:13). It is as if he had told them “Keep progressing”. Paul compared our spiritual progress to the physical growth of a child. A baby is the pride and joy of his parents, but he cannot remain a baby all his life. In time he will have to leave “childish things” behind (1 Cor. 13:11). Something similar happens with Christians: after being baptized we must continue to progress . Let's look at some suggestions that will help you achieve it.
4. What quality will help you progress spiritually, and why? (Philippians 1:9).
4 Feed your love for Jehovah. It is clear that you love Jehovah very much. But that love can continue to grow. How? The apostle Paul mentioned a way to do this, and we find it in Philippians 1:9 (read it). Paul asked Jehovah that the love of the Philippians would be “more and more abundant.” This means that the love we feel for God can grow. But we have to feed it "with accurate knowledge and full discernment." In other words, the more we know Jehovah, the more we love him and the more we like his personality and his way of doing things. We feel more like making him happy and for nothing in the world do we want to disappoint him. We strive to know what he expects of us and we find a way to do it.
5, 6. What is another way to nurture our love for Jehovah?
5 Another way to nurture our love for Jehovah is to get to know his Son better , who perfectly reflects the personality of his Father (Heb. 1:3). And the best way to know Jesus is by studying the four Gospels. Do you have the good habit of reading the Bible every day? If you don't have it yet, you can start now. When you read what Jesus did and said, look at his personality.He was an accessible and close person; he even took little children in his arms (Mark 10: 13-16). He made his disciples feel at ease when they were with him; therefore they freely told him what they thought (Matt. 16:22). Jesus was like that because his Heavenly Father is like that. Jehovah is very accessible. That is why we can pray to him and tell him everything that we have in our hearts. And we do it with the certainty that he will not think ill of us. He loves us and cares about us (1 Pet. 5:7).
6 Jesus felt sorry for the people . The apostle Matthew tells us: “When he saw the crowds, he was deeply moved , because they were mistreated and abandoned like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). And how does Jehovah view people? Speaking of his Father, Jesus said, “He does not want one of these little ones to perish” (Matt. 18:14). What joy it gives us to know that Jehovah loves us so much! When we get to know Jesus better, our love for Jehovah grows greater.
7. Why is it good for you to make friends with mature Christians?
7 There is something else you can do to help your love for Jehovah grow and progress spiritually. What is? Make friends with mature brothers and sisters in your congregation. Notice how these brothers are always happy. They do not regret having decided to serve Jehovah. Ask them to tell you about some experiences they have had. And, when you have to make an important decision, talk to them so they can give you some advice. No wonder the Bible says, “With many counselors things go well” (Prov. 11:14).
8. What can you do if you have questions about what the Bible teaches?
8 Clarify your doubts. As we saw in paragraph 2, Satan will try to keep you from growing spiritually. One of his weapons is doubt. He wants you to stop trusting what the Bible teaches.For example, sooner or later you will hear someone talking about evolution, a theory that tarnishes Jehovah's reputation. Maybe you didn't think much about this before. But now that you are a teenager, maybe your teachers will teach it to you directly in class. What they say may sound logical and convincing. But keep in mind that they may never have thoroughly examined the evidence for a Creator. Remember what Proverbs 18:17 says: "The first to present his case seems to be right, until the other side comes and questions him." What principle do we find in these words? That you shouldn't accept as fact everything they tell you at school. Rather, you must thoroughly study what the Word of God says.Look for information in our publications. Talk to siblings who previously believed in evolution and ask them what convinced them that there is a Creator who loves us. * These conversations will help you think seriously about tests.
9. What do you learn from Melissa's experience?
9 A sister named Melissa was greatly helped by researching creation. * She tells: “The masters present evolution to you as an absolute truth. At first I was afraid to face my doubts. I was scared to think that by researching more on this topic, my faith might come crashing down. But then I thought that Jehovah does not want us to serve him blindly, so I faced my doubts. I read the book Is There a Creator Who Cares About Us? and the brochures Is Life the Work of a Creator? and The Origin of Life. Five issues worthy of analysis. Studying that information was just what I needed. I regret not doing it sooner."
ILLUSTRATION
How can you prepare for when the theory of evolution is discussed in school? (See paragraphs 8 and 9).
10, 11. What will help you resist temptations? (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4).
10 Fight against bad desires. In adolescence, sexual desires can become very strong, and you may be pressured by others to engage in immoral sex. Satan wants you to give in to your evil desires. What will help you not to fall into temptation? (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4). When you pray to Jehovah, tell him how you feel and ask him for strength (Matt. 6:13). Remember that he is there to help you, not to judge you (Ps. 103:13, 14). The Bible can also help you.Melissa, mentioned in the previous paragraph, had to fight immoral thoughts. She says, “I didn't give up because I read the Bible every day. This reminded me that my life belongs to Jehovah and that I want him to always be near me” (Ps. 119:9).
11 You don't have to fight your problems alone. Tell your dad or your mom what is happening to you. It is true that it is not easy to talk about such personal things, but it is very important that you do so. Melissa recalls: “I asked Jehovah to help me be brave, and then I talked to my dad about what was happening to me. I felt a huge relief. I knew that Jehovah was proud of me.”
12. What will help you make good decisions?
12 Let biblical principles guide you. As the years go by, you will have more freedom to make your own decisions. But do not forget that you still have little experience in life.What can you do to avoid making a mistake that will damage your friendship with Jehovah? (Prov. 22:3). A sister named Kari remembers what she did to make better decisions. She realized that mature Christians do not need a biblical law for every situation that arises. Kari says: “Instead of just following rules, I had to understand how Jehovah sees things.” When you read the Bible, ask yourself: “What does this account teach me about Jehovah's way of thinking? Do I find here some principle that helps me to do what is right? What will be the results if I am guided by that principle?” (Ps. 19:7; Isa. 48:17, 18). If you read the Bible and meditate on its principles, it will be easier for you to make decisions that will make Jehovah happy.As you will understand their way of thinking better and better, you will see that you do not need a law for every situation. This will indicate that you are maturing spiritually.
13. How can good friends influence you? (Proverbs 13:20).
13 Look for friends who love Jehovah. As we saw in paragraph 7, your friends greatly influence your spiritual growth (read Proverbs 13:20). Take the case of a sister named Sara. She was losing the joy of serving Jehovah, but something happened that helped her. Sara explains it like this: “I found good friends when I needed them most. A friend and I met weekly to study The Watchtower, and another friend encouraged me to comment at the meetings. Thanks to my friends, I took personal study and prayer more seriously. Gradually my friendship with Jehovah grew stronger, and my joy returned.”
ILLUSTRATION
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Two young sisters study an article in “The Watchtower” together.
What kind of friends did this young sister choose? (See paragraph 13).
14. How did Julien get good friends?
14 What can you do to find good friends? A brother named Julien who is now a congregation elder recalls: “ When I was younger, I made good friends preaching . They were very enthusiastic and helped me see that preaching can be very enjoyable. I began to think about the goal of serving full time. I also realized that since I had only been looking for friends my own age, I was missing out on having more good friends. And then when I entered Bethel, I also made good friends. They taught me to choose my entertainment better, and that improved my friendship with Jehovah.”
15. What warning did Paul give Timothy? (2 Timothy 2:20-22).
15 What if you notice that someone in the congregation is a bad influence? The apostle Paul knew that there were people in the first-century Christian congregation who were not spiritual . That's why he told Timothy to stay away from them (read 2 Timothy 2:20-22). Friendship with our heavenly Father is something very valuable, and it is hard to cultivate it. That's why we don't want anyone to ruin it (Ps. 26:4).
SETTING GOALS HELPS YOU PROGRESS IN A SPIRITUAL SENSE
16. What goals could you set for yourself?
16 Set worthwhile goals. What are those? Those that strengthen your faith and help you be a better Christian (Eph. 3:16). For example, you could improve your personal study and Bible reading habits (Ps. 1:2, 3). Or maybe you can pray to Jehovah more often and from the heart . Perhaps you need to be more careful about the entertainment you choose and learn to use your time better (Eph. 5:15, 16). Jehovah is very happy when he sees that you are doing your best to make progress.
17. Why will you gain if you help others?
17 When you help others, you grow as a Christian. Jesus said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35). If you use some of your time and energy to help others, you will win. What could you do for others? For example, you might make it a goal to help siblings who are sick or older ones with their homework or electronic devices. If you are a baptized boy, set the goal of being a ministerial servant, in order to serve your brothers (Phil. 2:4). You can also show your love to those who do not know Jehovah by bringing them the good news of the Kingdom. —Matt. 9:36, 37. And, if possible, make it your goal to participate in some facet of full-time service.
ILLUSTRATION
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What goal did this young sister set for herself? (See paragraph 17).
18. How does full-time service help you grow spiritually?
18 Full-time service gives you many opportunities to grow spiritually. If you pioneer, you could go to the School for Kingdom Evangelizers or Bethel , or participate in construction projects. See what a young pioneer named Kaitlyn has to say: “Preaching with experienced brothers and sisters was a key part of my spiritual growth after I was baptized. Her example encouraged me to deepen my Bible study and become a better teacher.”
19. What blessings will you receive if you continue to progress spiritually?
19 If you keep progressing spiritually, Jehovah will give you many blessings. You will not waste your youth on goals that are not worth it (1 John 2:17). You will get rid of the painful consequences of bad decisions . What's more, you will be happy and do well in life ( Prov. 16:3). Your good example will encourage other brothers, young and old (1 Tim. 4:12). And most importantly, you will feel peace of mind and joy knowing that you have Jehovah's approval and that he is your friend.— Prov. 23:15, 16.
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
Why should we progress spiritually after being baptized?
As we saw in paragraph 2, Satan will try to keep you from growing spiritually. One of his weapons is doubt. He wants us to stop trusting what the Bible teaches.
What can young people do to progress spiritually?
Study thoroughly what the Word of God says. Find information in our publications. Talk to mature siblings.
Pray to Jehovah, tell him how we feel, ask him for strength, and study the Bible. Let us remember that he is there to help us, since he never judges us. The Bible can also help us progress spiritually.
Why do goals help us progress spiritually?
Because they give us many opportunities to progress spiritually. If you pioneer, you could go to the School for Kingdom Evangelizers or Bethel, or participate in construction projects.
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